photo by: Peter Hancock

Rep. Troy Waymaster, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, takes a rest near the speaker's podium during lengthy debate Friday on a bill that adds more than $1 billion in state spending through the end of the next fiscal year.

Topeka ? The Kansas House on Saturday gave final approval to a spending bill that adds more than $1 billion to the two-year spending plan it approved in 2017.

The 92-24 vote sends the bill to the Senate, which is scheduled to debate its own version of the bill on Monday.

The House spent more than six hours debating the bill, with most of that time consumed by numerous amendments. Among them was one by Rep. Brett Parker, D-Overland Park, who tried to insert a provision to expand the state’s Medicaid program, known as KanCare, under the Affordable Care Act.

Both the House and Senate approved a separate expansion bill last year by wide margins, although the House was not able to muster enough votes to override a veto by then-Gov. Sam Brownback.

Parker’s amendment, however, would have been attached to a two-year budget bill, meaning the expansion would have expired on June 30, 2019. It could only have been extended if the next Legislature, and perhaps a new governor, renewed it or passed a permanent law.

Parker’s amendment failed on a vote of 56-66. Lawrence Reps. Barbara Ballard, Boog Highberger and Eileen Horn, all Democrats, along with Republican Tom Sloan, voted in favor of the amendment.

There is a strong possibility that a similar amendment could be offered on the Senate side.

Sen. Barbara Bollier, R-Mission Hills, had attempted to bring one to the floor during the Senate’s debate on its original budget bill in March. But she was ruled out of order because she had failed to stand up and be recognized to offer the amendment before debate was called to an end.